Lubricating system for steam-engines



R. WATRES.

LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR STEAM ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.2, I916. RENEWED OCT-9.1919.

1,342,077. Patented June 1, 1920.

7 To all whom it may concern:

REYBURN WATRES, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

LUBRIGATING SYSTEM FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented June 1,

Application filed February 2, 1916, Serial No. 75,775. Renewed October 9, 1919. Serial No. 329,634. I

Be it known that I, REYBURN WATRES, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricating Systems for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

. This invention relates to the lubrication of steam engines, particularly. the steam chest, slide valve, and cylinder, and its chiefobject is to provide -.an effective system of lubrication in which the lubricant shall be carried to the steam chest by a current of steam more or less condensed. To this and other ends the invention consists of the novel features and combinations hereinafter described.

A convenient and effective embodiment o" the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of one form of lubricating device.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the usual relation of the lubricating device to the engine and the throttle, the device being connected to the steam supply pipe on the engine'side of the throttle. I

Fig. 3 is a view showing another arrangement. 7

The invention contemplates the use of a solid lubricant or preservative in finely divided form, preferably graphite, combined with a soluble binder (as more fully explained hereinafter) by which the lubricant is bound in a more or less solid cake or mass. This mass is suitably held in a current of wet steam supplied to the steam chest, with the result that the binder is gradually dissolved, thereby liberating particles of the lubricant or preservative which are carried along by the moisture to the slide valve. The precise form of the cake or massreferred to is, in general, immaterial, but in the accompanying drawing I have shown it in the form of a solid cylinder 10. Other forms may be employed where it is desired to expose a larger or smaller surface for more or less rapid dissolving of the binder, and hence a more or less rapid liberation of the lubricant.

The mass of lubricant 'or preservative 10 is carried in a chamber or carrier 11, preferably of cylindrical form, connected at its lower end by small pipe 12 to the interior of the steam chest 18. At its top it is connected by means of a small pipe 14 to the steam-supply pipe 15, preferably on the engine side of the throttle 16; that is, between the throttle and the engine. The lubricant body rests in a basket 17 of perforated sheet metal having a flange at its top supported by lugs,'as 18, on the sides of the-chamber 11. At one 'sideof the chamber is an opening closed by a screw plug 19 which can be removed when it is'desired to insert a fresh body of lubricant. In the arrangement shown in Fig; '3 the device has its inlet and its outlet connected to the steam pipe 15 on the boiler side of the throttle.

At the top of the chamber is a small condenser 20, which, by reasonof its large radiating surface, causes more or less condensation of the steam delivered by the pipe 14 to the inlet opening of the condenser. The lubricant is thus washed by a fine rain or mist and drops of condensed steam; and the moisture, dissolving the binder of the lubricant body, carries lubricant with it through the pipe 12 into the steam chest of the engine. Y

In the pipe 14 is a valve 21 to regulate the steam supply to the lubricant, and in pipe 12 is a valve 22 to regulate the flow to the steam chest. By adjustment of these valves the supply of lubricant to the engine can be accurately regulated.

The material that I prefer to use as the lubricating and preserving agent is flaked graphite, which may becombined with the binder and molded or shaped to the desired form. As the binder, any suitable material or materials may be used which will dissolve or liquefy in the fluid flowing past the mass, as, for example, a soluble silicate. I prefer the following composition: Dry sodium silicate, 20 cc.; liquid sodium silicate, 5 cc.; graphite, 25 cc. This is mixed with enough water to form a stiff, plastic mass, which is molded into cylindrical form by extrusion and cut into short pieces. \Vhere the mass dissolves too fast, as by reason of excessive condensation of the steam, the composition may contain 5 cc. of clay or talc, which has the effect'of diminishing the solubility.

The condenser 20 is usually advantageous, and in somecases essential, but under other circumstances it may be dispensed with, particularly where the outside temperature -is low enough to cause suflicient condensation in the pipe 14 and chamber 11.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the construction herein specifically illustrated and described, but can be embodiedin other forms Without departure from its spirit.

' 1. In a lubricating system of the kind de- 7 scribed," the combination with a steamengine having a steam chest, and a steam supply pipe therefor, of av lubricating device adapted to condense steam supplied to it and adapted to contain a bodyof soluble lubricant in the path of the moisturecondensed from the steam, a pipe connectingthe steampipe to the lubricatingdevice to permit condensation of steam above therbody of the lubricant, and means connected to J the lubricating device below the body of the lubricant for vconveying the dissolved lubricant tothe steamchest.

2.. In a lubricating system of the kind described, the combination with a steam engine having a steam chest, and a pipe for supplying steamthereto, ofa lubricatingdcvice connected with the steam supply pipeior the delivery of steam thereto and having large radiating surface whereby to condense steam, means for supporting a soluble body of lubricant in the path of falling moisture condensed from the steam, and a pipe vconnected to the device below the lubricant support :for delivering dissolved lubricant'lto the engine. 7

3. In alubricating-system of the kinddescribed, the combination with a steam engine having a steam chest, and a pipe for supplying steam thereto, of'a lubricating-dc vice having a condenser, a pipe connected with the steam pipe and the condenser for delivering steam tothe latterforcondensasignature.

RE-YB RN WATnns 

